The Week in Networking News

Ripped from the Internetnews.com headlines, these are the stories that network administrators should know about for the week of March 22-26.

NT Eyed as Windows-to-Linux Migration Link
Thanks to explosive growth in the market for Linux servers, more IT managers are pondering what might be involved in a Windows to Linux migration.
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Intel, Alcatel Link to WiMAX
In its quest to conquer a Wi-Fi hungry world, Intel (Quote, Chart) said it has found a technology partner in telecom provider Alcatel.
The two companies issued a statement Thursday suggesting their combined efforts would result in the definition, standardization, development, integration and marketing of 802.16a technology products by the second half of 2005.
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It's a (Real) Buffer Overflow Problem
Digital media delivery firm RealNetworks on Friday confirmed a buffer overflow vulnerability in its Helix Universal Server product, warning that a root exploit could give an attacker "inappropriate access" to compromised system. A root exploit could give an attacker complete control over a susceptible machine to execute malicious code.
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IT Execs Say Added Linux Support = Peace of Mind
The newly expanded relationship between Novell and HP will give customers "the support you need to make the transition to Linux with peace of mind," said Novell Chairman and CEO Jack Messman on Wednesday.
Attendees interviewed at Novell's BrainShare show agreed that enterprise decision-makers will feel more confident about Linux server implementations, due to increased support rolled out by HP and IBM this week's show.
At the same time, customers are less convinced that Linux will make its way to large numbers of North American desktops any time soon.
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Microsoft Trolls for More Whidbey Users
Looking to gain more support for its vaunted next-generation development platform, Microsoft Wednesday introduced a series of programs to lure customers to Visual Studio 2005. Microsoft says it relies heavily on customer feedback for products in development to ensure stability and is loathe to release a product until it has feels it has been sufficiently battle tested.
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HP Adds More Linux for PCs
HP, the world's No. 2 PC maker, announced a deal for Novell to provide SuSE Linux support and testing on its desktops and laptops.
The two companies already have agreements to run SuSE on HP ProLiant and Integrity servers. This agreement extends the relationship to encompass all computer systems from the client side of the network all the way up to the server.
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Oracle Software Polices the Compliance Police
Oracle unveiled the second version of its Internal Controls Manager (ICM), an application that gives a global view on compliance efforts within the organization.
First released in August 2003, the ICM gives IT managers and auditors a top-down view of the steps companies are taking to ensure they are providing internal controls within the company, and monitoring the compliance of those controls.
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Apple Server Blossoms with Telcos
Apple Computer is continuing to infuse the IT community with its G5-based products, extending its tendrils into some sectors the company previously did not have traction in.
Best known for its desktop systems, the Cupertino, Calif.-based computer maker Tuesday began shipping single-processor configurations of its Xserve G5 server.
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IPv6 Backbone Passes Latest Test
A permanent U.S. backbone network employing the next Internet protocol, IPv6, has cleared a second set of tests, the North American IPv6 Task Force said Monday.
The new IPv6 backbone, which stretches from New Hampshire to California, now works with high-speed links, firewalls, routing, common applications and quality of service (QoS) standards for business applications, including multimedia.
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Red Hat Tests Positive for IBM eServer
IBM on Tuesday said it will sell Red Hat software concurrently with its 64-bit computing platform, two months after taking a stake in the parent of the Linux vendor's main competitor.
The deal lets Big Blue sales representatives sell Red Hat Enterprise v3 with IBM's POWER eServer and BladeCenter systems, in addition to its AIX and OS/400 operating systems.
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Novell Roadmap is Heavy On Linux
SALT LAKE CITY -- Novell is looking to bridge its NetWare past with its Linux future, the company said Monday.
The Provo, Utah-based network integrator kicked off its annual BrainShare conference here complete with a roadmap heavy on Linux and open source, across enterprise servers, desktops, tools, and even relationships with ISVs.
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IBM Chatting up VXML Toolkits
IBM is rolling out upgraded software, tools and technologies aimed at easing speech applications into an enterprise's infrastructure.
The speech toolkits are gaining use, and not in call centers with voice-response systems. Car makers are increasingly integrating telematics for models, such as the OnStar system.
The announcement comes in conjunction with new customers using the technology: US-based Prudential Insurance and Parcelforce, which have begun using IBM speech technology in their contact centers.
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Sun, Cisco Tell Devs to Build for Mobility
ATLANTA -- Want secure mobile transactions with smart card devices? Need to move enterprise level computing to new mobile platforms?
If so, then you need developers with the ability to drill into legacy architectures and tweak them in order to lift full-blown applications off the desktop and into the palm of users' hands, two top technology executives said Monday for the launch of CTIA Wireless 2004 here.
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